Camping
by LuckyxLabradoodlexLoverx7
Summary: AU: Roger, Mark, Maureen, Joanne and Benny take their families to an outdoor nature center for the weekend over Memorial Day. Based on actual events. Rated T for safety. Four-shot.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer – I own nothing of RENT except my original characters and the plot. All the rest belongs to the wonderful Jonathon Larson. 'Nuff said.

_**Italics **_are thoughts, flashbacks and song lyrics.

A/N: I went out of town for the weekend and I got this story idea while I was out kayaking one day.

A/N 2 – original characters:

Ariel Davis – 39 years old & Roger's wife – long honey-colored hair to the lower part of her back, hazel eyes hidden behind green and blue glasses. Is really sweet, down-to-earth, loves everyone and loves nature.

Makaylah Rose Davis – 15 years old – looks and acts exactly like Roger.

Benjamin David Davis – 13 years old – looks and acts exactly like Ariel.

* * *

Amber Cohen - 40 years old & Mark's wife – short curly black hair, brown eyes. Not really a nature person. Puts her family first before making major decisions.

Michael Roger Cohen – 15 years old. Looks and acts exactly like Amber.

Alanna Grace Cohen – 12 years old. Looks and acts exactly like Mark.

Elizabeth Mary Cohen – 9 years old. Looks like Amber, but acts like Mark.

Cheyenne Maureen Cohen – 6 years old. Looks like Mark, but acts like Amber.

* * *

Rosemary Joanne Johnson-Jefferson – 10 years old. Looks like Maureen, but acts like Joanne.

Donna Elizabeth Johnson-Jefferson – 10 years old. Looks like Joanne, but acts like Maureen.

Henry James Johnson-Jefferson – 8 years old. Looks like Maureen, but acts like Joanne.

* * *

Ryan Scott Coffin – 12 years old – looks like Benny, but acts like Alison.

Sara Marie Coffin – 9 years old – looks like Alison, but acts like Benny.

Owen Noah Coffin – 2 years old – is a spitting image of Benny.

* * *

Summary: AU: Roger, Mark, Maureen, Joanne and Benny take their families to an outdoor nature center for the weekend over Memorial Day. Based on actual events. Rated T for safety. Four-shot.

Rating: T

Genre: Family/General

* * *

CHAPTER ONE  
(chapter title – Prologue)

_Roger Davis never thought he would find love again after Mimi died in the fall of 1996. They had a daughter together – Makaylah Rose, who was two years old when her mother died. Roger was now a single dad trying to raise his daughter by himself – he couldn't do it._

_By the time Roger went back to work at the high school where he was the band and choir director, Makaylah was three-years-old, so Roger sent her off to nursery school. He wasn't looking for love, but he couldn't help looking at a beautiful woman with long honey-colored hair and piercing hazel eyes. One of the fellow teachers told him that she was the history teacher named Ariel Thomason. _

_Ariel and Roger ended up having lunch together and they learned everything they could about each other. Roger felt himself falling in love with her every time he looked into her hazel eyes._

_After two years of lunch dates, Roger took Ariel on a real date – to an Italian restaurant called Bella's. That's where he proposed to her and of course, Ariel said 'yes'._

_When Makaylah was four-years-old, her little brother – Benjamin David – joined the family. Roger felt that his life was complete now that he had his daughter, wife and son.

* * *

_

_Mark, however, found it difficult to find love until he met Amber Hart – a twenty-something intern working for Alexi. Amber was beautiful – short curly black hair and big brown eyes that melted his heart. She knew the right things to make him smile – his soul mate._

_The two of them went on a few dates and it wasn't until they were watching a movie on Mark's couch that he realized that Amber was the one for him. He asked her to marry him that night and Amber told him 'yes'._

_They welcomed their son Michael Roger Cohen into the world on Halloween. A year later, their daughter Alanna Grace Cohen, joined the family. After Alanna was born, Mark and Amber tried to have another baby, but Amber kept having miscarriages. They went to the doctor and he told them that Amber had something wrong with her overeries and to stop trying to have a baby for a while. Three years later, they welcomed Elizabeth Mary Cohen, into the world on Amber's birthday. Another three years later, Mark and Amber welcomed their forth and final baby – Cheyenne Maureen Cohen – into the world on a cold December evening. Mark finally felt that his family was complete.

* * *

_

_Maureen and Joanne had their make-ups and break-ups, but finally stayed together in 2000 when Joanne was raped and became pregnant with twin girls. On New Year's Eve, they welcomed their daughters – Rosemary Joanne and Donna Elizabeth Johnson-Jefferson – into the world. Two years later, Maureen was on her way home and got attacked by a guy in a ski mask. He beat her and raped her before getting up and ran away. Hurting all over, Maureen managed to get herself home. She and Joanne welcomed their son, Henry James Johnson-Jefferson – into the world on Joanne's birthday.

* * *

_

_The Coffin family had a lot of problems with getting pregnant, but they welcomed their son Ryan Scott Coffin – into the world on Benny's birthday. Three years later, while vacationing in the Bahamas, Alison got pregnant with their only daughter, Sara Marie Coffin. Benny felt an instant bond to his daughter and dubbed her, "daddy's special girl." After years of miscarriages, stillbirths and fake pregnancies, Alison and Benny welcomed their son – Owen Noah Coffin – into the world on Mother's Day. Benny, like Roger, Mark, Maureen and Joanne – couldn't put into words how happy he was to have a family of his own._


	2. Yankee Springs

CHAPTER TWO  
(chapter title – Yankee Springs)

"Ow! Dad make him stop!"

"She started it!"

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

"Not!"

"DID TOO!"

"OKAY, STOP IT!" Roger yelled, startling his wife, kids and two dogs. It was silent after that.

"Not." Benjamin whispered, poking his sister.

"BENJAMIN DAVID DAVIS – KNOCK IT OFF!" Makaylah yelled at her brother. Ariel squeezed Roger's hand as he drove to the campsite where the others would be meeting them.

"Finally peace and quiet." Roger announced once the kids put their iPods back on. Ariel kissed her husband's cheek and took a look in the rearview mirror – the dogs – 3-year-old Husky/Irish Setter mix Hannah and 4-year-old Airedale/Great Dane Montana – were sleeping peacefully. Ariel had rescued both girls from a shelter and since Roger was a dog nut, he had said 'yes' to both dogs.

Two and a half hours later, the Davis family arrived at their destination – Yankee Springs. They signed in and instantly received their chore lists – Roger had Friday night dinner and Sunday breakfast; Ariel had Saturday lunch and Saturday clean-up; Benjamin had Sunday lunch dishes and Monday breakfast. Makaylah had Saturday lunch and Sunday dinner. After getting their chore lists, they checked into Cabin 14, which was near the beach.

"Ugh – I hate mosquitoes!" Makaylah complained, slapping one as it landed on her arm. Ariel took in a breath of air and exhaled deeply.

"I love wilderness!" Ariel announced as the family climbed back into the car to drive it to the cabin so that they could unpack and change. Makaylah rolled her eyes and put her iPod back on.

"Hey dad, can I go swimming?" Benjamin asked as he unrolled his sleeping bag.

"Not tonight – it's almost dark and I think dinner should be ready soon." Roger told his son, also unrolling his sleeping bag. Their cabin was small – just a bunk bed, a single bed and a double bed. Makaylah had already called the bunk bed, while Roger and Ariel claimed the double bed. Benjamin had the single bed, which was okay with him. Both dogs were with Makaylah and Ariel – they had gone down to the beach.

"I'm gonna drive the car back up. Wanna come with me?" Roger asked. Benjamin shrugged his shoulders and went to the lodge – the large cabin near the front of Yankee Springs.

Stepping inside, Benjamin saw the long tables filled with people and instantly recognized three other families – the Coffins, the Johnson-Jefferson's and the Cohen's. They were all playing a game – Taboo.

"This is something that you use on a daily basis-"

"TOOTHBRUSH!"

"HAIRBRUSH!"

"Napkin!"

"It helps you um – can't say that word – um – help." Maureen looked to her partner for help.

"Hi Benjamin – want to play with us?" Joanne asked, getting up and hugged Benjamin close.

"No, thanks Aunt Joanne." He then turned to Benny – "Do you want me to watch Sara?"

"Alison actually took her to the beach, but thanks for asking." Benny told the boy, smiling. Benjamin went to an empty table and picked up his book – _Angels and Demons_ and began reading when Maureen and Joanne's twin daughters Rosemary and Donna sat down across from him. Benjamin rolled his eyes and put his book away.

"We're going down to the beach – wanna come?" Donna asked.

"I can't – my dad said I have to stay here." Benjamin told her, picking his book back up.

"So, what cabin are you in?" Rosemary asked.

"14 – you?"

"16. Mark and Amber are in cabin 15 – we're neighbors."

"What about Benny, Alison, Michael, Sara and Owen?"

"They're in cabin 17 – right near the beach."

"Cool."

They talked for a little while longer before groups of people were headed down to the beach. Benjamin decided to walk with his fellow teenagers – Makaylah and Michael, along with some of the other teenagers that came along.

After dinner, people lounged by the fire. Roger picked at his guitar while Ariel sprayed bug repellent on him. Roger kissed the end of her nose as she sat down next to him.

"Are you gonna play something?" someone spoke up.

"Yeah, I just gotta figure out what I'm going to play." Roger answered, strumming his guitar.

"How about two songs then you can hear more tomorrow." Roger told the small crowd. They nodded and listened intently as he played.

"This first one is called Blue Boat Home and the second is called Swimming to the Other Side." Roger announced. Taking a deep breath and swatting the buzzing mosquito away from his ear, he began playing.

"_Though below me I feel no motion  
Standing on these mountains and plains  
Far away from the rolling ocean  
Still my dry land heart can say  
I've been sailing all my life now  
Never harbor nor port have I known  
The wide universe is the ocean I travel  
And the Earth is my blue boat home._

_Sun my sail and moon my rudder  
As I ply the starry sea  
Leaning over the edge in wonder  
Casting questions into the deep  
Drifting here with my ship's companions  
All we kindred pilgrim souls  
Making our way by the lights of the heavens  
In our beautiful blue boat home_

_I give thanks to the waves upholding me  
Hail the great winds urging me on  
Greet the infinite sea before me  
Sing the sky my sailor's song  
I was born upon the fathoms  
Never harbor or port have I known  
The wide universe is the ocean I travel  
And the Earth is my blue boat home  
The wide universe is the ocean I travel  
__And the Earth is my blue boat home._" Roger crooned. The small group of people crowded around the fire lightly applauded while Roger took some time to tune his guitar and talk some about the next song he was going to sing.

"_We are living 'neath the great Big Dipper  
We are washed by the very same rain  
We are swimming in the stream together  
Some in power and some in pain  
We can worship this ground we walk on  
Cherishing the beings we live beside  
Loving spirits will live forever  
We're all swimming to the other side_

__

I am alone and I am searching  
Hungering for answers in my time  
I am balanced at the brink of wisdom  
I'm impatient to receive a sign  
I move forward with my senses open  
Imperfection it be my crime  
In humility I will listen  
We're all swimming to the other side

We are living 'neath the great Big Dipper  
We are washed by the very same rain  
We are swimming in the stream together  
Some in power and some in pain  
We can worship this ground we walk on  
Cherishing the beings we live beside  
Loving spirits will live forever  
We're all swimming to the other side

On this journey through thoughts and feelings  
Binding intuition, my head, my heart  
I am gathering the tools together  
I'm preparing to do my part  
All of those who have come before me  
Band together and be my guide  
Loving lessons I will follow  
We're all swimming to the other side

We are living 'neath the great Big Dipper  
We are washed by the very same rain  
We are swimming in the stream together  
Some in power and some in pain  
We can worship this ground we walk on  
Cherishing the beings we live beside  
Loving spirits will live forever  
We're all swimming to the other side

When we get there we'll discover  
All of the gifts we've been given to share  
Have been with us since life's beginning  
And we never noticed they were there  
We can balance at the brink of wisdom  
Never recognizing that we've arrived  
Loving spirits will live together  
We're all swimming to the other side

_We are living 'neath the great Big Dipper  
We are washed by the very same rain  
We are swimming in the stream together  
Some in power and some in pain  
We can worship this ground we walk on  
Cherishing the beings we live beside  
Loving spirits will live forever  
We're all swimming to the other side._" Roger crooned and again, the same group of people applauded lightly. He just smiled and made his way back to the cabin. He remembered his flashlight and turned it on so that he could find his way to cabin 14 without hurting himself.

By the time he entered the cabin, Makaylah, Benjamin, Hannah, Montana and Ariel were all fast asleep. Roger quietly climbed in next to Ariel and gathered her in his arms as if he would never let her go.


	3. Sunny Days and Rainy Nights

CHAPTER THREE  
(chapter title – Sunny Days and Rainy Nights)

Alanna sighed as she watched some teenagers she didn't know lay out on the dock. She was afraid of teenagers (except Michael and Makaylah, of course) and was shy when it came to giving other people orders. She wanted to go swimming, but the teenagers were taking up the entire dock.

"Forget this." Alanna mumbled angrily and stormed to the lodge – she was in a really bad mood and didn't want to be messed with.

Upon arriving at her destination, she saw her mom and dad sitting at one of the picnic tables, holding hands and smiling. Amber looked over at her daughter, frowning.

"Lana, what's wrong?" Amber asked, letting go of Mark's hand and walked over to her daughter.

"I wanted to go swimming, but there were teenagers lying on the dock." Alanna told her mother.

"Just shove them off the dock." Amber teased. Alanna rolled her eyes and entered the lodge. It was empty, except for a handful of people. Looking around, Alanna instantly spotted the Coffin kids, Henry Johnson-Jefferson and her best friend Anna. Alanna didn't recognize any of the adults, with the exception of Roger, Joanne and Alison.

Sighing, Alanna sat at one of the unoccupied tables and stared at the ground.

"Wanna play a game?" Ryan asked, sitting across from her.

"No, thanks." Alanna answered.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah – I'm just feeling a little emotional right now."

"I understand. Want me to stay here with you?"

"No, it's okay." Alanna told him. Ryan nodded and got up from the table. Alanna then put her head on the table and began crying.

"Lana? What's wrong?" Joanne asked, coming over.

"I want to go home." Alanna sobbed. Joanne sat next to Alanna and took her in her arms. Alanna buried her face in Joanne's shirt and began sobbing loudly.

"Can I get you anything?" Joanne asked, kissing Alanna's forehead. Alanna shook her head just as Mark and Amber entered the lodge.

"Baby girl, what's wrong?" Amber asked, stroking Alanna's strawberry-blonde hair.

"I wanna go home." Alanna choked out between sobs.

"We're only here for one more day – can you hang on until then?" Amber asked. Alanna nodded and headed out of the lodge.

Entering the cabin, Alanna threw herself on her bed and sobbed hysterically. She didn't like being away from home and was taking it pretty hard.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the cabin door.

"Go away!" Alanna told the person.

"Alanna? Are you all right?" Ryan's kind voice was on the other side of the door.

"No – I'm having a very crappy day."

"I was going to go down to the beach – wanna come?" he asked.

"I have lunch duty pretty soon."

"I have lunch duty, too."

"After lunch, wanna go swimming?"

"I've actually never been kayaking – wanna try it?"

Alanna nodded, happy that someone wanted to hang out with her.

"There she is!" Joanne announced as Ryan and Alanna entered the kitchen. Joanne had them make lemonade and arrange the fruit on a platter.

"This is boring." Alanna commented.

"I agree." Ryan told her, smiling.

"_I'm gonna wash that man right outta my hair  
I'm gonna wash that man right outta my hair  
I'm gonna wash that man right outta my hair  
And send him on his way-_" Maureen sang as she cut up a tomato.

"Aunt Maureen, no Show tunes, please." Ryan complained.

"What's wrong with show tunes?" Maureen asked.

"The songs are annoying, some of the plots are stupid and sometimes the lyrics don't make any sense." Ryan reasoned.

"What about when your parents took you to see Phantom of the Opera – you told me you loved it." Maureen said.

"It was all right." Ryan told her.

"Let me tell my dad what we're doing then we can go." Alanna told Ryan once lunch was eaten. Ryan nodded and watched Alanna skip off.

Reaching the cabin, she saw her mom and Cheyenne sitting on Cheyenne's cot. Cheyenne was crying loudly.

"Mom? What happened?" Alanna asked, watching her mom put a band-aid on Cheyenne's arm.

"She got stung by a bee." Amber told her daughter, kissing Cheyenne's forehead. Cheyenne got off the bed and exited the cabin.

"Hey mom would it be okay if Ryan and I went kayaking?" Alanna asked, praying that her mom would say 'yes'.

"Sure, sweetie – your dad and Roger are down there, so I'm sure that they'll keep an eye on you." Amber said, going over to Annie – the Cohen family's black Labradoodle.

"Can I take Annie to the beach?" Alanna inquired.

"She has some ticks on her, so I'm gonna brush her and try to get them off." Amber said. Alanna sighed and walked back to the lodge. Ryan smiled and together, the two of them headed to the beach.

Once they were settled in a large kayak, Mark gave them simple – yet confusing instructions.

"To go right, go left and to go left, go right." He explained. Both Ryan and Alanna nodded as Roger gave them a push away from the shore.

Twenty minutes later, Ryan and Alanna headed back to the shore and got out of the kayak just as two teenagers ran to it, accidentally knocking Alanna into the water, which wasn't very deep, but still, something had to be done.

"Hey!" Alanna yelled at the teenagers, almost regretting what she was about to say and do.

"What?" one of them asked.

"When you push someone, you're supposed to say 'sorry' and see if they're okay." Alanna explained, walking over to them.

"So?" the other teenager inquired.

"It's called 'manners'." Alanna said. The teenagers rolled their eyes and took the kayak onto the lake without a backwards glance. Mark walked over to his daughter.

"You okay?" Mark asked. Alanna nodded and headed to the lodge, Mark right behind her.

"I can't believe we're leaving tomorrow." Alanna said as she looked out her cabin window that night. It was raining hard, which didn't bother Alanna that much.

"I know, but we'll come back next year." Amber promised, rubbing Cheyenne's back. Her brother and sister were already asleep.

"I've loved making new friends and going on nature walks and…" Alanna started to say as she drifted off to sleep. Mark kissed her forehead before turning off the light and climbed in next to Amber. The only sound was the rain pounding on the tin roof above their heads.


	4. The End

CHAPTER FOUR  
(chapter title – The End)

"Pookie, let's go over the list one more time."

"Maureen, we've gone over it a million times – trust me, we're leaving nothing – N O T H I N G behind."

"It doesn't hurt to go over the list again."

Joanne sighed inwardly – Maureen was right – as usual, but Joanne didn't want to admit it.

"Okay, do we have the sleeping bags?"

"Check."

"Bathroom stuff?"

"Check."

"Kids?"

"Rosemary and Donna are at the beach, saying goodbye to their friends. Henry is up at the lodge with the Coffin family."

Maureen nodded and rolled up her sleeping bag while Joanne took down the mosquito nets around the beds. Even though Joanne wasn't an outdoor person, she would miss Yankee Springs very much.

An hour later, the kids, Maureen and Joanne were in the car on the way home.

* * *

"Daddy, me no go." Owen complained as the Coffin family packed up their duffel bags, rolled up their sleeping bags and headed to the car.

"Owen, we'll come back next year." Sara reassured her little brother.

"Me no go." Owen repeated, tears in his coffee-brown eyes. Alison put down her sleeping bag and picked up her youngest.

"Like your sister says we'll be back next year." Alison told her son, kissing his cheek before putting him back down.

"It's a shame that Collins, Angel, Ava and Kyle couldn't join us." Benny told Alison as they drove home. Alison nodded and squeezed her husband's hand.

"Where were Aunt Angel, Uncle Collins, Ava and Kyle, anyway?" Ryan inquired, taking off his earphones.

"They went to Lake Michigan where Collins' family is." Benny told his son. Ryan nodded and put his earplugs back in. Alison took a minute to glace in the rearview mirror – Sara and Owen were asleep while Ryan was listening to his headphones, his head nodding to the current song on his iPod.

* * *

It was nearly nine o'clock when the Davis family arrived home. Both Makaylah and Benjamin took a moment to stretch before getting out of the car. Roger and Ariel got Hannah and Montana in the house while Makaylah and Benjamin got their things out of the car and took them to their rooms.

* * *

By the time the Johnson-Jefferson family arrived home, it was going on ten-thirty. Maureen carefully carried Henry in the house while Joanne, Rosemary and Donna got their things in.

"We need to pick up Lucy, Mac and Phantom from the kennel tomorrow." Maureen reminded Joanne as they climbed into bed. Lucy, Mac and Phantom were the three dogs that Maureen had rescued from a shelter – Lucy was a 3-year-old Beagle; Mac was a 6-year old Black Lab and Phantom was a 9-year-old Husky mix.

"I'll get them on my way to work." Joanne said, her tone sleepy.

* * *

The Cohen family didn't arrive home until a quarter to eleven. Everyone was tired, especially Mark and Amber, who kept switching drivers so that the other one could get some sleep.

"Kids, take your bags to the laundry room – I'll do the laundry tomorrow." Amber told the kids as they filed into the house. Annie bounded into the house, sniffing everything – happy to be home.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Sara asked, waking up from her slumber.

"About five miles to go, sweetie." Benny told his daughter. She nodded and went back to sleep.

Ten minutes later, Benny pulled into the driveway and instantly heard Evita, Skeeter and Scooter – the three Akitas – barking their heads off. Benny smiled when the housekeeper, Ellen, came out to help with the bags.

"The puppies are happy to see us." Sara noted as Skeeter licked her face. Alison smiled and picked Owen up out of his car seat. Ryan put his iPod away and went to help bringing in the bags.

"Were the dogs good?" Benny asked Ellen, who just nodded and helped with the bags.

"I'll get started on the laundry." Ellen announced, taking the bags to the laundry room before anyone could stop her.

"Daddy, can I see Red Rum before I go to bed?" Sara asked.

"You can see your pony in the morning, sweetie. He's probably sleeping." Benny told his daughter, kissing her forehead. Sara nodded, said goodnight to her family and headed to her room for a good night's sleep. A short time later, Ryan followed his sister to his room and went to bed.

* * *

Meanwhile on Lake Michigan, Angel and Collins stared at the stars, a light blanket resting on their laps. Crickets chirped and frogs croaked in the background.

"This is such a beautiful night." Angel announced, looking up into her partner's face. Collins just nodded and kissed her forehead in response.

"I'm sad that we couldn't go to Yankee Springs." Angel said. Collins just nodded sadly.

"We'll see them again." Collins croaked.

"I know we will, but I just missed the children." Angel told him.

"We have Ava and Kyle."

"You know what I mean."

"Yes, I do, sweet girl."

"It's a little chilly out here, so I'm going inside. Wanna come?"

"I'll be there soon." Collins told her, going to the phone and dialed Roger's number.

"Hello?" Roger's sleepy voice on the other line.

"Rog? It's Collins."

"Hey Col." Roger was a little more awake.

"Did I wake you?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay – I'm waiting for Ariel – she's been in the bathroom for a while – she might've gotten food poisoning or something."

"That's no good."

"I know. Col, I don't mean to sound rude, but I'm tired and I would like to get some sleep. Could we catch up sometime?"

"Yeah. We're coming home tomorrow, so could we meet for dinner or something?"

"Dinner sounds good. I'll talk to you when I'm more awake."

"Okay Rog. Say hi to Ariel and the kids for me."

"Will do."

"Night."

"Good night."

With that, Roger hung up the phone. Collins sighed, hung up and went inside to be with Angel.

* * *

The next evening, everyone gathered at the Life Café to see Collins, Angel, Kyle and Ava. First to arrive was the Cohen family, followed by the Coffin and Johnson-Jefferson families.

"Where's the Davis family?" Mark asked out loud.

"Roger just called – Ariel's not feeling well, so he's staying home with her. Makaylah is at a friend's house and Benjamin locked himself in his room." Joanne told her friends.

"What's wrong with Ariel?" Maureen inquired.

"She has food poisoning." Joanne answered. Maureen frowned just as Collins, Angel and eight-year-old twins Ava and Kyle entered. Ava looked and acted like Angel while Kyle looked and acted like Collins.

Since there was so many of them, the adults took up one table and the kids took up the other.

"It's not the same without Ariel and Roger here." Collins said.

"Ariel will be okay." Joanne reassured him, reaching across the table and squeezed Collins' hand.

"Daddy, may I have a dollar, please." Sara asked, coming up to Benny.

"What do you need a dollar for?" Benny inquired, reaching into his wallet for a dollar.

"For The Claw." Sara answered.

"What's The Claw?" Benny wanted to know.

"That." Sara pointed to a large yellow claw machine near the front of the café. Benny rolled his eyes.

"Sweetie, you don't need another stuffed animal – you have at least 100."

"200 daddy." Sara corrected. Benny rolled his eyes again and turned to Alison.

"Your father's right, honey – you don't need another stuffed animal." Alison told her daughter. Sara nodded and went to be with the other bohemian kids.

As the twenty of them were heading out of the Life Café, Mark's cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, pressed the 'on' button and talked to the person on the other line.

"Hello?" Mark said into the receiver.

"It's not food poisoning – Ariel's pregnant."

"Slow down, Roger – what?"

"I just took her to the doctor – Ariel's pregnant."

"That's wonderful, Rog."

"I know – I was so worried there for a minute."

"I bet you were. When's she due?"

"Sometime in February."

"We're just going out for ice cream – want to join us?"

"That's all right – we're going to lunch now and then we're going to pick up some baby stuff."

"Sounds like fun. Tell Ariel we said 'hi' and congratulations."

"I will. Tell everyone I'm sorry and the good news."

"I will. See you later, Rog."

"You too, Mark." With that, Roger hung up. Mark pressed the 'off' button and put the phone back in his jeans' pocket. It wasn't until then he felt nineteen pairs of eyes staring at him.

"What?" Mark inquired.

"Who was that on the phone?" Michael asked.

"That was Roger – it turns out that Ariel doesn't have food poisoning."

There were unison sighs of relief and a chorus of 'thank goodness'

"She's pregnant."

The girls squealed and hugged each other while the guys just smiled and looked from one person to the next. The children were excited.

"When's she due?" Angel inquired.

"Sometime in February." Mark answered.

Nine months later, everyone was seated either on the floor or chairs in the waiting room. Ariel had gone into labor at 1:00 in the morning and it was close to 7:00 in the evening. Roger came out once in a while to let his friends know how Ariel was doing.

"When the baby be born?" Owen asked Benny. Benny, Owen, Ava, Kyle, Elizabeth, Cheyenne and Sara were sitting on the floor, building a city out of blocks.

"Soon." Benny told his son, connecting one block to another. The others were seated on the chairs, either watching the news, napping or down in the cafeteria.

An hour later, Roger came out of the delivery room, smiling. Everyone looked up at him, hoping everything was okay.

"We have a daughter – Scarlett Joy Davis. She's 6 pounds, 4 ounces and 16 inches long." Roger told the others. Everyone came up to him, hugging him and whispering 'congratulations' in his ear. Mark got out his video camera and filmed the family walking down the hallway to the observatory.

"February 5th, 2010, 8:10 PM Eastern/Standard Time. We welcome little Scarlett Joy Davis into the world. Zoom in on Roger, the happy dad." Mark zoomed in on Roger as he held up his daughter for all to see.

"She's so precious." Amber whispered, lifting Cheyenne up so that she could see the baby. Alison did the same with Owen.

"What's her name?" Sara asked.

"Scarlett Joy Davis." Benny whispered in his daughter's ear. Since they couldn't all go in to Ariel's room, the adults decided to go, except Collins – who wasn't feeling good. He volunteered to stay with the kids while Angel, Mark, Amber, Benny and Alison, along with the older kids, went to Ariel's room.

Inside the room, Roger was holding Scarlett when his friends came inside. Ariel was fast asleep, so they had to talk in low voices, as to not to disturb her.

"Where's Collins?" Roger mouthed to Angel as he handed Scarlett to her.

"Out with the younger ones." Angel whispered back, tears filling her eyes as she looked down at the precious baby asleep in her arms.

Everyone took a turn holding her, but as Benny handed her to Roger, Scarlett began crying loudly. Roger got a bottle of formula out and gave some to the little baby. Scarlett drank it noisily, making everyone laugh.

Once everyone left, Roger looked down at Ariel sleeping peacefully and gently kissed her forehead before going back to feeding his baby girl.

_There's only now, there's only here  
Give in to love or live in fear  
No other path, no other way  
No day but today_


End file.
